Fabric-coating apparatus.



F. E. KN & E. P. FORD.

FABRiC COATING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 16. L916.

Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEFIoE.

.FREDERIO E. KIP, 0F MONTCLAIR, AND EDWIN P. FORD, 0F MORBISTOWN, NEW

JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE DURATEX COMPANY, OF NEWARK,

A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

NEW JERSEY,

Fanfare-COATING nrrm'rns.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 1, 1918.

Application med. May 16, 1916. Serial No. 97,794.

To all whom it ma concern.

Be it knovvn t at We, FREDERIC E. K11 and EDWIN P. Fonz), citizens of the United States, and residing at Montclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, and Morristown, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, respectively, have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Fabric-Coating Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

In the patent df William O. Stoddard, Jr., No. 1,109,806, dated July 11, 1916, is described a process for making an imitation leather consisting, generally stated, in ap plying to a fabric one or more coats of a nitro-cellulose solution, then a japanning composition, in one or more coats as may be desired, and then subjecting the coated fabric to a baking temperature. The present invention relates more particularly to a method and means for carrying out the coat ing process in an expeditious manner, as will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which are more or less diagrammatic, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of an arrangement for applying the nitrated cotton solutions; Figs. 2 and 3 enlarged side views of the doctor blade and calendering machine, respectively, of Fig. 1.

Referrin to Fig. 1 the apparatus is shown as arrange in duplicate on two floors of a building, so that there shall always be on hand in the drying-room a suificient supply of the fabric, coated with the nitratcd' cotton solution, to render the process continuous through the japanning operation. The operation of applying the nitrated cotton solution may be carried out on duplicate apparatus arranged upon the same floor, and any desired number of sets of such apparatus may be em loyed.

The fabric to be coated, designated by the numeral 1, is arranged in a continuous belt extending from the frame 2, at which point the nitrated cotton coats are applied, around an idler 3 supported upon a frame 4, back to an idler 5 on the frame 2,.the'n around a. drum 6, driven by any suitable means, and by which it is delivered, during the coating operation, around a roll 7 to a travelino' belt or a ron 8 on the upper run of which the fabric is allowed to accumulate in folds as indicated in the drawing. Below the upper runs of the fabric, and between the frames 2 and 4, is placed a calendering machine, of any well-known type, comprising a suitable frame 9 in which are supported two rolls 10 and 11. The lower roll 10 is provided with theusual means by which it may be heated, preferably by steam, and is also pro vided with suitable driving mechanism 10'. The upper roll 1.1 is supported in the frame by the means shown in Fig. 3, so that if it is desired to omit the calcndering operation the roll 11 may be raised out of engagement with the roll 10. In front of the calendering machine the fabric around a series of tension rods 12. The calendaring rolls lift the fabric from the belt 8 and de liver it to a second traveling belt or apron 13 upon which it is allowed to fall in folds, as indicated, and by which it carried to the frame 2. After passing around tension rods 14, a brake-drum 15 and a pair of idler rolls supported on the frame, the fabric passes beneath the doctor-blade 16, thus completing the circuit. The doctor-blade is supported upon a slide-block 1% engaging a screw-shaft 16 by which the blade may be raised and lowered. The angular position of the blade relatively to the fabric may be adjusted, as desired, by the means shown. Between the first and second runs of the fabric may be placed a coiled pipe 17, having a steam connection thereto, to heat' the fabric to assist in drying the coats of the nitrated cotton solutions.

The calendering rolls 10 and 11 are run atconstant speed and, in order to drive the drum 6 at the proper speed for delivering the coated fabric to the traveling belt 8, so that the fabric may accumulate thereon, we run the shaft 44 from the means for driving the calendering rolls to beveled gears 45, and through belt 45 to a variable speed transmission 46, which may be of any Well-known type, and thence through a belt and intermediate pulley to a pulley 6 on the shaft of drum 6. By adjusting the variable speed transmission the amount of fabric fed to the belt 8 may be so controlled that the calendcring operation may be con tinned, although the coating operation may be temporarily stoppei.

In carrying out this part of the operation as znahy coats of the 'nitrated cotton solution are applied as may be desired, the solutions being poured upon the fabric from a suitable vessel, or supplied through a nozzle, in front of the doctonblade. The latter is adjusted so as to s read the solution in an even coat over the abric as the latter passes beneath the blade. The fabric then travels the course, above described, each coat as it is applied being dried under atmospheric conditions, the drying being facilitated when running the fabric at a relatively high speed by the heat of the steam-coil 17. If the fabric is to be calendered the upper roll 11 of the calendering machine is lowered so as to bear with the requisite pressure upon the fabric as it passes between the rolls 1( and 11. Upon reaching the frame 2, the first coat applied to the fabric will be dried to the condition desired, and the second coat may then be applied, the operation being repeated with the successive coats as described. The fabric may be made to travel at any desired rate varying from ten feet to 100 feet per minute. The lengths of the several runs of the fabric may be varied according to the length of the piece or the length of the building in which the apparatus is set up. In practice the distance the piece is to travel 30 should be such that each application of the nitrated cotton solution shall be dried to the condition desired \for that coat before another application is made.

After the fabric \has been coated with the nitrated cotton solutions it is cut transversely below the idler 7 and the end carried around idlers through an opening 18 into a drying and japannihg room (not shown). As one end of the heated fabric is passed to the hangin and drying-room a new piece of uncoated ahric is attached to the other end and so drawn or threaded upon the apparatus, thus loading or preparing it with a new len 11 of material to be coated. As as t e coated fabric has been drawn off, the two ends of the uncoated fabric are attached and the nitrated cotton solutions appiied as above described. As shown in Fig. 1 there may be two sets of coating apparatus which may be run simultaneously so that there will always be a suflicicnt supply of the coated fabric for the hanging-room and for the japannin operation.

The fabric use may be such as-has heretofore been used in the making of an imitation or leather substitute. In ractice we have used a Woven fabric. The rst coat, as applied in the machine shown in Fig. 1, is ascomposition of a nitro-cellulose solution and vegetable oil. We prefer to make three IYPPHCRlZlOIlS of such composition and, by

way of example, the proportions of the ingredients may be as follows:

For the first application we take subi5 stantiaiiy 100 pounds of a twelve-ounce solugravity of about 17 Baume at F.; the

tion of nitrated cotton to which is added fifty-six pounds of a vegetableoil, preferably rape seed oil, as with such oil better results have been secured than with any other. Castor oil, cotton seed oil and'linseed oil may be used, but the results are not as satisfactory as wlth rape seed oil. For the second application we use about 100 pounds of atwelve-ounce solution of nitrated cotton and about twenty-ei ht pounds of the preferred vegetable oil. or the third application we use about 100 pounds of a twelve-ounce solution of nitrated cotton and about eighteen pounds pf the preferred vegetable oil. The nitrated cotton is dissolved in any well-known solvent as amyl-acetate and ,the vegetableoil'added thereto. Each batch is thoroughly agitated to make a homogeneous composition, the first having a specific second a specific gravity of about 25 Baume at 60 F.; and the third a specific gravity of about 25 Baume' at 60 F. It will be noted that in the preferred proportions the amount of the vegetable oil in the first composition is such as will prevent it drying hard, and that the second composition contains substantially one-half of the amount of oil as in the first, and that the third contains substantially one-third of the amount of oil as the first.

The proportions in the ingredients given by us have roved satisfactory in practice but it is to e understood we do not limit ourselves to the precise amounts given, as these are stated only by way of an example which may be followed. The quantity of the mixture for each coat may be varied in accordance with results desired. Nor do we limit ourselves to the exact number of coats of the nitrated cotton solution, as more or less than three coats may be applied.

"What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. An apparatus for the purpose described, 110 comprising frames between which a continuous band of fabric is caused to travel, a drum on one of said frames around which the fabric is passed, means for spreading a coating composition on the fabric as it trav- 11 els between the frame a calendering machine, tension rods in f out of the calendering machine, and means for. causing said drum to rotate at a slower speed than the speed of the driving mechanism of the calendering rolls. a

2. An apparatus for the pur ose described, comprising frames between w ich a continuous band of fabric is caused to travel, a drum on one of said frames around which 125 the fabric is passed, means for spreading a coating composition on the fabric as it travels between the frames, a calendaring machine, tension rods in front of the calendering machine, and a connection between the 130 means for driving'the calendering rolls and the means for drivin said drum whereby the amount of fabric ed to the calendaring machine may be controlled.

3. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising frames having rollers and drums thereon around which a continuous band of fabric is passed, means for spreading a coating com osi-tion on the fabric as it is caused to trave between the frames, a calendering machine located between the frames, tension rods in front of the calendaring machine, and traveling belts between the calendering machine and said frames to deliver the fabric from one of the frames to the calendering machine and from the latter to the other frame.

4. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprising frames having rollers and drums thereon around which the fabric is passed, means for spreading a coating composition on the fabric as it is caused to travel between a continuous band of frames, a calendering machine located between the frames and below the upper runs of the fabric, tension rods iii front of the calendering machine, and traveling belts between the calendering machine and said frames to deliver the fabric from one of the frames to the calendering fabric is delivered, and means connectin machine and from the latter to the other 3'0 frame.

5. An apparatus for the purpose described, comprisin frames between which a continuous ban of fabric is causedto travel, a drum on one of said frames around which the fabric is passed, means for spreading a coating composition on the fabric as it trav-,

els between the frames, a calenda ing machine between the frames and below the upper runs of the fabric, tension rods in front of the calendei'ing' machine, a travelin belt between one of said frames and the ca endering machine to which the coatad t e driving mechanism of said drum an the calenderin rolls whereby the said drum and rolls may rotated at such relative speeds as to cause the fabric to accumulate upon said belt.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names in the presence of the subscribing witnesses.

V FREDERIC E. KIP. EDWIN P. FORD.

Witnesses:

M. E. McNINcn, CHARLES S. Jones.

I. is hereby certified that, in Letters Patent No. 1,280,492, granted October 1, 1918 upon the application of l 'rederic E. Kip, of Montclair, and Edwin P. Ford,

of Marristown, New Jersey, for; an improvement in "Fabrlo-Coating Apparatus,"

error; appear in tho printed specifica ion requiring correction as follows: Page 3,

line .20, c-laun 4, strike out the article th1:" and insert the words a continuous band of; same page abet claim, line 23, strike out the words u continuou hand of" an?! that. one sn Eat-tors Patent should be read with those corrections therein tha t.

th same may conform ,to this record of the case in the Patent Oflice.

Signed and soalel this 29m day of October, A. 0., 1913.

[SEAL-1 R. F. WHITEHEAD,

Act-mg lrommiss'ioner of Patenlg. CI. 9113. 

